Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The inland seas and the rules, levels, and cities that depend on them.
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Who Gets Great Lakes Water? The Compact, Explained
A 2008 agreement among eight states bans most diversions of Great Lakes water outside the basin. How the rules work, the narrow exceptions, and why Illinois is a special case.
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Why Great Lakes Water Levels Rise and Fall
Lake levels drift with precipitation, runoff, and evaporation on a scale that rewards patience. How the water budget works and who keeps the books.